Bioplastics industry takes stance on LCA

Soon after its third annual conference drew some 300 attendees(see photo), trade body European Bioplastics (Berlin, Germany) released a position paper on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of bioplastics outlining the opportunities and requirements LCAs can offer to suppliers and users of these plastics.

The group notes that, as topics such as sustainable development, fossil fuel and natural resources availability, global climate change, and waste reduction gain more attention in the public, political, and industrial realms, LCA results are often a solid argument affecting consumer buying decisions, politicians’ legal moves, and private companies’ business plans.

Because bioplastics is an all-encompassing term that includes plastics based on different raw materials, and produced and processed using diverse technologies, with some recyclable, some compostable, and some neither, the results from bioplastics’ LCAs do not lend themselves to simple conclusions. The environmental performance of bioplastics can only be assessed case by case, argues the group. The position paper is available on the web site of European Bioplastics, near the bottom of the page. —[email protected]